Toothpick dispenser



April 16, 1940. E. BALL-ARD TOOTHIIGK DISPENSER Filed Nov. 30, 1937 INVENTOR. fiaZZa/d ATTORNEY.

' Patented Apr. 16, 1940 r 2 197,234 I if .UNITED. STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE I I 2,197,234 Y I 'roornrrox DISPENSER 'Earcy BallarrL San Diego, Calif. I Application ember: 30, 1937, Serial 177,338

6 Claims.

' My invention relates to an apparatus fordispensing toothpicks to the public, and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a dispenser for toothpicks in 5 which only a single toothpickis dispensed at a time, thus making the toothpick dispenser very sanitary;

Second, to provide a dispenser of this class in which after the toothpick has been removed, or

am partially removed, it cannot be put back into the dispenser Third, to provide a toothpick dispenser of this large number of tooth- Fifth, to provide a dispenser of this class which is interesting to operate; 7

, Sixth, to provide a dispenserof this class in which the toothpicks are automatically held in close relation so that they are easily dispensed; and

Seventh, toprovide a dispenser of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, easy to operate, sanitary in its action, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particular- 1y set forthin the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon which form apart of this-application in which: r Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my toothpick dispenser complete; Fig. 2 a top or plan view thereof; Fig. 3 a longitudinal sectional view taken from the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing some of the parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken from the line 44 of Fig. 2 showing some of the partsgand portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawing:

The toothpick receptacle sides I andZ, toothpick receptacle base 3, toothpick receptacle back 4,.toothpick selector support 5, toothpick selector supporting spring 6, toothpick selector. handle 1, toothpick selector member 8, toothpick selector member return spring 9, toothpick receptacle front l0, toothpick receptacle cover II, and resilient members l2 and I3 constitute theprinci pal parts and portions of my toothpick dispenser. Thetoothpick receptacle side members I and -2 are positioned on inclined relation ;to each forming a V-shape sided receptacle as-shown best in Fig. 4 of the drawing. They are secured totangular in shape and extends forwardly and "15,

backwardly of the side memb'ers'of the receptacle 7 as shown best in Figs. 2' and '3 of the drawing. These side members l and 2 are secured in their certain relation to each other by means of the I back 4, which rests on top of thebase Band ex'- tends to the upper side of the'side members I and2. W 1 Secured on the backwardly extending portion 3b of the base member 3 is the toothpick selector support 5, which is also secured to the back meme, her 4 and extends upwardly some distance above of theside members I and 2 and backmember 4, and serves as a. reinforcement between' the base 3 andthe back member 4. The upper end of this member 5is turned over the receptacle by a right angle turn 5a and is provided with a loop 5b in its extended end; This member'5 is preferably made of a metallic strip and the loop par-- tion 5b is considerably narrower than the body portion. Mounted in the loop portion 5b of the] 35 member 5 is a tension spring 6 at one of its ends, 1' and its other end connects with a loop member la. secured in the one end of the handle 1. Thus it will be noted that the handle 1 "may-(be lowered by slightly stretching the spring 6. Mounted in this loop member la. is also another spring 9 which extends substantially at right angles to the spring 6 on a substantially horizontal plane and is secured to the body portion of the mem her 5. This spring 9 is for the purpose of returning the handle member to a backward position after'the toothpick has been selected and moved forwardly out of the receptacle and the handle released. Alsosecured in the handle 1 atthe backward end adjacent to theloopmember la is the toothpick selector member 8, which is a long thin metal member provided witha-slightly broadened knife'edge end 8a, and it is'provided slightly above the end with oppositely. disposed lugs 8b which prevent the selector member from f Q gether at their lower edgesby meansof'beveled v corners Ia and 2m sothatthe intersection of-the :10

coming out of a slot I la in the cover member I I. This cover member I! is preferably transparent and is supported on the upper edges of the side members I and 2 by means of screws IIb so that the member iI may slide forwardly for placing toothpicks in the receptacle formed by the side members I and 2 and back member 4; or this top member I I may be secured by means of screws so that the receptacle is not accessible except by removing these screws IIb.

Secured on the front edges of the side members I and 2 with its lower side extending down into the recess 3a, is the receptacle front member I B. This receptacle front member I9 is preferably composed of thin sheet metal shaped to conform to the outer sides of the members I and 2 and secured thereto by means of screws Ida. It is reinforced at its upper edge by a thickermetallic plate I 0b for supporting said upper edge. This front member Ill is provided with a vertical slot Iflc extending from near the top to near the bottom at the middle between the members I and 2 and is provided with a pluralityof cross slots Hid. These slots are slightly narrower than the toothpicks are thick so that the material surrounding theslots is pressed outwardly when a toothpick is pressed outwardly by the selecting member 8, and the sides adjacent said slots engage the sides of the toothpick and thereby prevent the toothpick from being pressed inwardly but permit its ready withdrawal.

In order to keep the toothpicks bunched there are provided two pairs of slots in each of the side members which are designated to and 2b, which extend from the tops of said side members to near the bottoms thereof, and in which are mounted rubber bands, or other resilient members I2 and I3, which are stretched over the toothpicks when they are placed in the recepwhich passes out through one of the slots Iflc or I01), and the end of the toothpick which protrudes may be grasped and withdrawn, but cannot be pressed back into the receptacle. The handle may be released after the toothpick has been started outwardly.

Though'I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination, and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention, the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure 'by Letters Patent is:

1. In atoothpick dispenser of the class described, the combination of a V-shaped receptacle provided with a base and with slots in one end, a cover therefore provided with a slot in the middle thereof longitudinal of said receptacle, a selector support secured to said receptacle and When it is deextending over said longitudinal slot, a selector member mounted in said longitudinal slot, a tension spring connected to said support at its upper end and to said selector member at its lower end, a handle member secured to said selector mem- 5 ber and extending forwardly of said receptacle, and a retraction tension spring in connection with said handle and with said support positioned on a horizontal plane.

2. In a toothpick dispenser of the class de scribed, the combination of a V-shaped receptacle provided with a base and with slots in one end, a cover therefor provided with a slot in the middle thereof longitudinal of said receptacle, a selector support secured to said receptacle and 15 extending over said longitudinal slot, a selector member mounted in said longitudinal slot, a tension spring connected to said support at its upper end and to said selector member at its lower end, a handle member secured to said selector member and extending forwardly of said receptacle, a retraction tension spring in connection with said handle and with said support positioned on a horizontal plane, said receptacle provided with slots inits side walls and resilient Imembers mounted-in said slots adapted to engage the upper sides of the toothpicks to hold them bunched.

3. In a toothpick dispenser of the class describedythe combination of a V-shaped recep-t30 tacle provided with a base, a cover thereforprovided witha slot in the middle thereof longitudinal of said receptacle, a selector support secured to said receptacle and extending over said longitudinal slot, a selector member mounted in said' longitudinal .slot, a tension spring connected to said support at its upper end and to said selector member at its lower end, a handle member secured to said selector member and extending forwardly of said receptacle, a retraction tension spring in connection with said handle and with said support positioned on a horizontal plane, said receptacle provided with slots in "its side walls and resilient members mounted in said slots adapted to engage the upper sides of the toothpicks to hold them bunched, and a yieldable metallic front provided with vertical and horizontal slots in the middle portion thereof of smaller size than the toothpicks. 4. In a toothpick dispenser of the class described, the combination of a V-shaped receptacle provided with a base, a cover therefor provided with a slot in the middle thereof longitudinally of said receptacle, a selector support secured to said receptacle and extending over said 55 slot, a selector member mounted in said slot, a tension spring connected to said support at its upper end and to said selector member at its lower end, a'handle member secured to said selector member and extending forwardly there-. from and a yieldable metallic front provided with vertical and horizontal communicating slots in the middle thereof of smaller size than the toothpicks.

5. In a toothpick dispenser, a receptacle pro- 53 vided with a base, a cover therefor provided with a slot therein longitudinal of said receptacle, a selector member adapted to fit in said slot and engage one of said toothpicks, a handle for said selector member, a support for said selector mem- 79 ber mounted on the base and cooperating with the base to support said receptacle and said support being extended over said receptacle, a spring connecting said support with said selector memher, a front for said receptacle-provided with a Ii yieldable portion provided with intersecting receptacle, a' selector member adapted to fit .in said slot and engage one of said toothpicks, ahandle for said selector member, a' support for said selector member mounted on the base and cooperating with the base to sup-. port said receptacle and said support being extended over said receptacle, a spring connecting 2,197,234 v slots tion provided-with intersecting slots therein of I 3 said support with said selector member, a front for said receptacle provided with a yielda'ble porsmailer size thanfthe toothpicks, and yieldable means positioned around said toothpicks in said receptacle and around said base and adapted to be supported by the upper side of the stackof 'tooth tlicks', and by said base, the side walls of said' receptacle being "slotted to accommodate, said yieldablbmeans;

-' F EARCY AILARD. 

